Lever lock



Patented @et Z, i923.

. iran r ar- ARTS CHESTER BRYAN, OF SYRACUSE, 'NEW YORK.v

Lnvnn Loon.

Application iled October 4, 1921. Serial No. 505,431.

To alle@ from t muy concern Be it known that li'rnris C. BRYAN, oi

Syracuse, in the county of Gnondaga, in the State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Jimprovements in v which the following", takenin connection with the accompanying` drawings, is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to a lever lock` but? morev particularly to adevice 'for locking the gear shifting levers ot motor vehicles to reducethe liability ot theft and other unauthorized use ot the machine.

These levers are usually tulcrumed by "a universal joint upon lasuitable supporting vbase or housing on the frame of the ma-v distancebelow thefulcrum and holding said lever in its neutral posit-ion againstinitial lateral movement in either direction. Y in other words. lhavesought to incorporate in the base or housing a more compact andsturdy locking' device than has hereto'- i'ore been piacticed by the useoi a locking' bolt having onrejend eng-aged with'opposite sides ot thelower endroi the lever and its other end slidable in suitable guide' inthe base and held in its lockingposition by a ball tumbler controlled.by a key Loperated barrel y v y Another object is torenable the variousparts of the locking device to be assembled pr removed withoutdisturbingjithe shitting ever.

Other objects and uses relating to specific I parts of the locking`ydevice will Vbe brought out in thefollowing' description: 'i ln'thedrawings: ,y

i -is a horizontal sectional view or' a lever locking device embodying vthe various. features of my invent-ion taken in the plane of linefil-ik, FigxQ. A' i y Y' Figm is a vertical sectional view of the samedevice taken in the plane of lineB-d,

Fig. 3 is a verticalseetional viewl i Vver Locks; of

F l is a detail sectional view taken in the plane or' line e-Ll, Fig.l'showing the means for llockingl one of the clamping bolts of thelever-support against removal from the transmission gear-case. Y

As illustrated, this device comprises-acne.- piece hollow castv metalbase or housing 1- adapted to be secured 'inV any well` known mannertothe frame orP the machine and provided with an upright conical portion-2- having a central spherical seat or bearing- -B-in its upper endawhich is milled externally for receiving a 'sheet metal` cap lt Y A gearshifting' lever--'f is extended vertically through a central opening-6-`- vin the top of the housing- +1- and is provided with asubstantially 'hemisphericalenlargement A7 normally restingf'on the auniversal j oint-to permit the lever to swing in' any direction aboutspherical bearing. l

The hemispherical enlargement` -7-4- is *y intermediate the ends butpreferably nearer the lower end of the lever 5fs'o that the upper endof' said lever extends a considerable distance above the top ofthehouslng and constitutes the handle by vwhich said 4provided withannular enlargements* -9-f rande-10#-V in vertically spaced relation oneabove the other betweenl the lower'spherical end '-11- and 4enlargement7-, the annular enlargement -9- being provided with longitudinallyconvex surfaces for enf the center of 'the V spherical seat -3-andforming therewith I @agement with the locking bolt hereinafter Ydescribed, .while the annular enlargement lO- is disposed in a'planejust below the locking` bolt to prevent vertical withdrawal oi thellever from its operative position.:

The upper iend of thek cap -74-4* isfspherf ical and provided vwith acentral .opening -l2----k of 'suiiicient'diameter to permit the desired'rocking movement lof the lever 9 5-, said opening beingv closed. by asupheldv against said face by means of ka'coilspring 5-14-1@ interposed=between the sup plemental cap l3 and upper 'aceot the annularenlargement as shown in Fig. 3, -said supplemental cap being' provi ledVwith a central openingY l5 or" just surficient size to easily receivethe adjacentportion of the lever 5 and'to move therewith as the lever isrocked about the center of the spherical bearing 3 The lever lockingdevice comprises a locking bolt l6 having a cylindrical 'shank 17slidable horizontally in a radial guide opening l8 and provided withgaforked inner end forming a slot i9 eX- tending transversely or' the axisof said bolt in the 'horizontal' plane off thcannular enlargement 9- oi'the lever 5` the ope posite walls of the slot being` stra-ighttransversely and extended some distance to opposite sides of the axisor" the lever for ing opposite faces of said. enlargement, whereby themovement of the lever laterallyV in opposite directions will move thelocking' bolt l7 axially in reverse directions.

' {n thenther hand, it the locking' bolt isheld against axial movement,it will also hold the lever 5 against lateral nievementor in its neutralposition. The shank ofaeloclring bolt is provided'with a lengthwisekey-way in one side engaged Aby a key 21 on the inner` end of a screw 22which engages in threaded aper tureY in therorresponding side of thehousing 1 for holding' the locking bolt against turning movement *in thebearing Y 18- and thereby maintamine,l the inner' U-sliaped head in asubstantially horizontal position "when the locking bolt is adjusted foruse. I i

YThe opposite side of the shank of a locking,- bolt Vis provided with a'vertical groove M adapted to receive portion of a' locking' ball 25which is movable in Aa Aguide opening; 26 leading radially fromv thebearing l8 to Van upright opening 27 in which latter is mounted a barrel28 forininff an extension v of a 'key-lock 29 which in turn is rigidlysecured in a socket 30 in the upper endet an olfset portion 31- ofthebaseqor housing 1 as shown in Fig. 2.

The adjacent ends of the barrel 28 and the locl; Y 29 areV provided withtongue and groove [connections for `transmittinej motion for theturnableinemmovable into andl out of re ejistrationY with the recess 26 inthe`shank of the 'locking bolt l6 as the barrel 2-8- is turned through themedium ot' Vthe key 33 These recesses 2G andV 34tshifting the Oears. :3The distance between I j Y 5 and recess 24 alongV the axis Y i j y YVineeaoe are oit suficient length-to receive portions of substantiallythe same .diameter as thatv of tl e passage 26 with'just suliicientclearance to permit the ball to move in'said passage without excessivefriction. l Y

The dist-ance between the periphery of the cylindrical shank 17 of thelooking` bolt 16- and inner wall ot thefreeess 7 31l Dall to allowsaidball Yto clear theperijmery f the shank l8 when entering. the

tingl the Vtree endwse movement ofthe l'oclrine; bolt by the action ofthe lever` 5 in the" center Vor"- the lever ot the locking` bolt issubstantially equal to the distance between the vertical axis `o the theguidev opening 26- 'V Vttor -the- 'ball s slightly greater than thediameter'or" the Ythe ball-locker tumbler 25 which Vis of recess alinedtberewithjthus permit.-` L

25 and'. it therefore 'followsthat when the lower end of the lever isvlorought t0 il Ybarrel 28- through the mediiimroffthe' key one-quarterturn in either direction or su'flicient to move the recess M out or"rep'istration with the `guide opening' 2G whereupon the periphery ofthebar`- i rel 28 'at its junction Vwith the inner wall ot the recess' 311-will act as a` cam for forcing the ball 25 into the registering recess Mof the locking bolt for locking and holding` the lever in its neutralposition, whereupon the key 33 be removed 'by the operator topreventpthe operation oitV the shifting lever and parts'aetur atedthereby.

f VOn the other hand,l by reinsertinp; the keyv u and tu'r'ningthe' inthe lock 29' Y barrel- 28 vto bring its'recess M into registration withthe ball 25 allows the lockingbolt l6 to be moved endw-ise by the leverduring which` operation7 the' lend walls ofthe recess 24L will force theball 25 into the recess 34. out of the path of movement of said lockingbolt.V s p VThe annular flange or enlargement 10%- on the lower end ofthe lever 5 'normally lies in a plane just below the Linner end oftheloclzing bolt 16 and serves to; prevent upward displacement of thelever' from its operative position.

The inner U-shaped end ofthe locking bolt lt is offset normally belowtheaxis e 'of the shank 17 to facilitate the removal Y andreinsertion Vofsaid locking bolt without.-

removing; the shift-ing lever 5 3 this being,- accomplished by'siniplvnnscrewing the isc the Ylashaped end of the locking bolt and Y lto oneside of the shank thereof, whereupon `said locking bolt `may beWithdrawn inwardly; and removed from the underside of the base when the`latter is detached from the frame. Y l 5 The spring 14ein addition toholding the member -13 againstthe 'inner face of the cap ll also bearsagainst the upper flat face of the-part w-7-- andserves to yieldinglyhold the lever '-45- in its neutral position when the bolt -17-- is unlocked. l

The lever-supporting base or lhousing -lconstitutes a cover-plate for atransmission gear-case -G- Figure 4l and is clamped thereto by anySuitable number' of bolts as -35- engaging in threaded sock- -36- in thegear-case -G- and passing loosely through openings -37 in the housing-l-, one of said bolts nearest the lock-barrel -28- being provided Witha recess -38- adapted to register with a supplemental locking member-39---, which is movable in a radial opening e0- in the Y base orcover-plateiwl* into and out Vof the Cri recess 38- and is alsomovableinto and out of aI supplemental recess 41- 1n the barrel -2S-,the inner Wall of said recess ,-el serving as a cam by which the lockingmember 459- may be forced into the recess -38- of the clamping bolt 435-the lock said bolt against turning simulta-L neously With the locking ofthe sliding bolt 17-yvhich holds the lever -5- against rocking` movementwhen the barrel 2S- is turned to its rocking lnosition through themedium of the key -33-. i

T his locking of the clamping bolt *-35- prevents malicious removal ofthe housing -lfrom the gear-case and thereby prevents unauthorizedoperation of the gearshifting mechanism, thus producing fa double lockto prevent theft of the machine upon which the device is used, itbeingvunderstood that the unlocking of the barrel -28-- willsimultaneously release the locking bolt -17- and will also release theclamping bolt -35- to vpermit the removal of the housing if necessary.V

What l claim is:

l. ln a. lever lock'of the character described, the combination of asupporting base, a lever fulcrumed thereon, a locking bolt slidablymounted on the base and provided with means for engaging opposite sidesof the lever, said bolt being provided With a recess on one sidemovableinto and out of registration With! auf-:opening in the,

base, a vlocking member movablek in said openingrandkev operated meansfor forcing and holding said locking `member into said recess when thelatter is registered With' said opening. Q f

2, The combination With gear shifting lever and a'support therefor, alocking bolt engaging oppositefsides ofthe lever and actuated thereby asthe lever is shifted lat-r erally tov and from a.lneutra-ljposition,v a.l locking ,memberv movable inl an opening in the support, saidlockingbolt having arecess"Y movable into and out o-fregistration With-saidlocking member. andlregistering ivith said locking Vmember When, theshifting lever is in a neutral position, and key operated means forforcing the locking member into said` recess when the latter Visregistered therewith. l

3. The combinationV with a gear shifting lever and a support therefor,of a locking 'bolt slidable on the support and engageable opposite sidesof the lever to be operated by `said lever when the latteris shiftedlaterally7 a rotary key operated'barrel mounted i on the support, a.locking member between the barrel and locking bolt and actuated by saidbarrel for engaging and locking the bolt when the latter isshifted toneutral position by the operation of the gear shift-y ing lever.Y Y Y 4.Thecombination With a gear shifting lever and a support therefor, alocking bolt engaging opposite faces of thev lever for` movementtherewith as the lever is shifted from a neutral position, said lockingbolt having a recess Vin one side adapted to register with an opening inthe support when the lever-is inits neutral position, a. bally movablein saidopening and key operated means for forcing the ball intov theregistering recess of the locking bolt. f

.5. 4ln combination with a `transmission gear-case, a cover therefor,mea-ns including a el amping boltfor securing the cover to thegear-case, a shifting lever mounted on the coverplate, a locking-boltfor holdingthe shifting lever in its neutral position, a key operatedmember, means actuated by said key operated memberv for locking theshifting lever in its neutral positiom'and additional means actuated bvthe same key-oplneutral position, and means including a locking memberactuated bv a Dart of said,

key-operated means for locking the cover` to the locked.

7. ln a lever `fear case when the shifting lever vis lock7 the'Vcombination of a.

isa

Y wr,-

gear ease having a cover, a gear shifting lever 'fulciumed lon thecover, a locking bolt l slidable axially in an openingin the cover,

arielL provided with a transversely 'elongated Vrslot at 'right angles'to its axis for receiving `a portion of the lever and permitting; vsaidlever to move tiansverselv ol" said axisY relatively to the bolt, theaxial Width ofthe SlotY being` substantially equal to -the Vdiameter ofthe portion: of the lever therein to hold the bolt and leven againstrelative movement lengthwise 'of' said axis, 'anal llreyoperi atedmean'e'fOrljoclringr thebolt againstvaxia'l movement when in its neutralposition.

15 VV8."Tlie 'combination Witlia gealhftig lever and a 'supporttherefonof a bolt slid- 'able in'an yopening in the support and' operativelyconnected to the lever to Vmove 'therewith as the leverV is shiftedlaterally,

` a locking member movable Vin an opening in 'the support into and outoflooking engagement with the bolt', and key-operated means Lfor forcingthe looking member tio-,its leeking position.

